How to Access the Game Code
The game code are Stranded II's internal files that hold all of the information the game uses to function. Because the game is open-source, these files are able to be accessed and changed by anybody ''who downloads the game. This guide will show you how to access these files and do simple altering to them. ''Note that any changes you make to the game code will only apply to the system those changes were made on. Making a change to your game code will '''not '''result in somebody else's game changing. Windows When you install the game, you should be given the option to save the game files wherever you desire. On most occasions if you use the default location, the files for the game should be located under Computer>Shit>Stranded II. When you get there, you will see two folders and six documents. The Change Log contains all of the patch notes and version history of the game. Altering these files has no effect on the game. The rest of the documents are either related to the execution of the game to the game code, or are applications to run the game itself. The Core folder holds scripts and templates, which are the media on which the game's info is run. Changing these files will change vital game mechanics and is only recommended for those working on heavy modding/using Stranded II as a base for their own game. Changing these files will not be gone over in this guide. The mods ''' folder will contain all possible game types you have downloaded and all of their game files, including the original Stranded II game. Click on the '''Stranded II '''folder to view all of the folders containing the vanilla game data. The '''gfx folder contains item icons, textures, and models. By editing any of these using compatible 3D modeling programs or image editing software, you can change the in-game look of whatever you're editing. This can be used to create texture packs or add the "physical" model of a new object of your own creation into the game. Interestingly, you can find un-used textures in this folder. The maps folder contain the files for the pre-set maps in the game. These files cannot be directly altered; you must use the map editor to change maps that exist. But even so, it would be far easier to do that as the map editor gives you all of the resources you need to fully customize a map. The saves folder is fairly straight-forward. Saves are stored here and can be remotely deleted. Altering your saves in any way can severely ruin the saves, or even the game itself. To prevent file corruption, only access saves through the in-game options. The sfx folder holds the game's sound files, including player speech, sound effects, music, and ambiance. You can record your own sounds and replace the files to essentially make a "sound pack", or you can add new sounds and connect them to other files to create entirely new sound effects for an entirely new object or action. The skies folder simply holds the textures for the skybox. You can replace or alter these files to change how the in-game sky looks. The sprites folder holds all of the game's sprites. Like textures in the gfx folder, these can be replaced or changed to alter the look of it's in-game equivalent. The sys file is the real gem of the game code. This is where you'll find more sprites and textures, scripts, the skill infos, combinations, mechanics, and object properties. This is the most important files for altering the game and it's where I get most of the information for this wiki. For now we'll focus on the most basic way to edit these, and that will be item properties. To start us off, I'll give you a little exercise. So, you know how a parrot works in-game, don't you? They fly away when you get close, land sometimes, yadda yadda. Well, let's make it do something a little bit different. Open up the units '''document and find the ''parrot ''part. Change the '''behavior to "animal", the speed to "10", and the scale to ".5". Make sure to back up the original files so that you don't lose them! Then simply enter the game and spawn a parrot to see what happens... Pretty neat, huh? We were able to drastically alter the properties of the parrot just by a little bit of word jumble. This is where "modding" really comes into play, as with these simple tools you can create or change the game in many cool ways! For example, you could change every unit in the game to become hostile to create a super-hard mode! If you want to get really far into it, you can create new objects in the code using information from already existing ones. You can take upon a big project to make an entire mod by creating, textures, models, sounds, and scripts to make entirely new entities in the game and customize them however you want! This is what the big modders do, and using a game like Stranded II with a straight-forward open-source is a great way to start. The tutorial folder simply holds the special information for the tutorial. Nothing special here, except an anti-climax. Using all of this information together, you can create fully fleshed out mods and gamemodes. I hope this guide helped you understand the game files, and feel free to bring up any concerns to me! Category:Guide Category:Mods P.S. We still need variations of this guide for other operating systems. Anybody willing to help is highly appreciated! Category:WiP Category:Guide Category:Mods